Cope: Empty benches in Parliament more of an embarrassment for Zuma

With “empty opposition benches”‚ the “bootlicking and bum-sucking African National Congress (ANC) caucus” had President Jacob Zuma and Speaker Baleka Mbete “all to themselves and what an uninspiring and lacklustre lot they showed themselves to be”. 

That’s how the Congress of the People (Cope) summed up Thursday’s proceedings in the National Assembly‚ which say the “irony of Zuma asking Mbete to get the house in order”.

A day earlier‚ Economic Freedom Fighters MPs were removed from the chamber after disrupting Zuma’s Presidency budget vote.

On Thursday‚ in the absence of most opposition parties‚ Zuma said he was asked “embarrassing questions about this Parliament“‚ and said the “drama‚ theatrics and antics” were changing perceptions of the country as a leading example of constitutional democracy“.

“The empty benches on the opposition side‚ with the exception of two Inkatha Freedom Party members who cut very lonely figures‚ spoke loudly and clearly of the trust deficit in the present leadership of the ruling party‚” said Cope’s Dennis Bloem.

“Everyone is now going to ask Zuma‚ wherever he goes‚ why almost everyone from the opposition side is questioning his legitimacy to occupy the highest office in the land.

“The empty opposition benches signified near zero confidence in Zuma and Mbete. Her humiliation was complete when Zuma publicly hauled her over the coals in the National Assembly.”